Floating and cushioning device for aeroplanes



. Feb. 25, 1930. G. MIKULA 1,748,492

FLOATING AND CUSHIONING DEVICE FOR AERDPLANES Filed July 25. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet I INVENTOR I III; I I BY ATTORNEY Feb. '25, 1930. MIKULA 1,748,492

FLOATING AND CIJSHIONING DEVICE FOR AERoPLAuEs I Filed July 25, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 2 MN ifi MN M N I. v 1 Nb N Wflmw Cw mm Q v Mm MN 92 a m, MW! N? h wk a 8 x v m h h mm. ww Pu G. MIKULA Feb. 25', 1930.

' FLOATING AND CUSHIONING DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

Filed July 25; 1928 ing like at the control of the pilot for forcing air,

Patented Feb. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES GEORGE MIKULA; OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY FIJOATING AiND GUSHIONING DEVICE FOR AEROPLANES nppl icationfiled-July 25, 1928. Serial No. 295,261.

This invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes and has specific reference to attachments for land planes whereby in the event of shortage of fuel when over a stretch 7 of water a plane may drop onto and be suported by said water and be sustained thereon or an. indefinite period of time to await a rescue or for awaiting a fresh supply of fuel; after which the sustaining elements may be D folded within suitably provided pockets when the plane may proceed on its initial course. But to permit of this, the wing attachments must first be entirely collapsed into their pockets, the attachments of the fuselage being collapsed later after the plane rises from the water to proceed on its flight.

Briefly the invention contemplates providing a land plane with devices normally folded within the lines of the plane structure which 0 may be quickly inflated with compressed air to similate in buoyant eiiiciency a hydroplane,

sea-planeor the like.

In reducing my nvention to practice I preferably provide shallow pockets in the undersides of the fuselage and the outer,

under portions of the wings, wherein are received tightly folded bags of flexible rubberized fabric requiring little space when folded in bellows formation. Devices beprovided and controlled by levers ,or the under pressure into the said bags after devices are operated to release suitable catches which. I

I place a casing or hous1ng19, provided w1th 'a marginal flange20, against which a cover I lock the bag frames in normal collapse 5 folded condition.

The invention also provides means for inflating the air bags in the event the plane engine should go dead said means comprising an auxiliary pump operated by electrical current and a controlling switch for said pump being controlled by a lever at the pilots seat.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of my improved convertible aeroplane shown in flight and about to land on a body of water, parts being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal seetional elevation showing the bags or floats collapsed or folded within their respective pockets or housings and with omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic side elevation of the aeroplane engine, an air pressure pump and controlling connections,

Fig.4 is a greatly enlarged lon 'tudinal sectional elevation, and somewhat iagram-. matic, showing more clearly an auxiliary air pressure pump employed, parts being omitted other parts and the lower bag being released and unfolded ready for inflation,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a valve for controlling the air in the wing floats or bags,

passenger. entrance at 15, the pilots window at 16, and the rudder and tail group at 17.

' In carrying outmy invention I provide a recess 18 in thebottom of the fuselage '10,

extending longitudinally thereof, in which 21, ma be locked by spring pulled catches22, hinge .to said housing 19 as at 23.

be hereinafter described, 1

Near the tail group'17 of the fuselage 10,

[I provide a smaller pocket 24, containlngla y flanged housing and a cover 26 norma locked in closed position by spring pulled the catches 22, just de- Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation show- I .The pilots seat (not shown) will'be posi tioned atabout the'letter P so that he may" have access to the several control levers to tilting or'violent rockingof the aeroplane when resting on rough water, I preferably provide pockets 28, in the underside of the Wings, to receive housings or casings 29' flanged at 30, against which covers 31, are normally locked by spring pulledv catches 32, and normally folded into the housings 19, 25 and 29, are flexible bags 33, 34 and 25 respectively.

The flexible bags 33, 34 and 25 are preferably of layer canvas permeated with rubber and pre-pressed to form bellows folds 36, so that when the air is pumped out and a vacuum created they will be drawn into their respective housings and will fold compactly without manual attention, and the covers of the housings will be snapped in under their respective catches in closed positions.

Should itbecome imperative, in case of fuel shortage or for other reasons, to alight on a body of water, the pilot pushes forward on a lever 37, pivoted at 38, and having a fork 39 at its lower end to engage in revoluble relation, a grooved clutch sleeve 40, which is slidable on, but rotative with the engine shaft 41, of the plane, see Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The forward movement of the handle of the lever 37, through suitable wires 42, passing over rollers 43, serves to disengage all of the catches 22, 27 and 32 to which said wires are connected and permit the bags 33, 34 and 35 to unfold out of their respective housings and in the same movement of the lever 37, it moves the sleeve clutch part 40, into interlocking engagement with a companion clutch member 44 on the shaft 45, of the rotor 46, of an air pump 47, having out and incoming pipes 48 connected toa shiftable valve 49 also connected with a short inwardly directed nipple 50 and at the opposite side to an air pipe line 51, hereinafter described.

The valve 49 may be adjusted by a bellc'rank lever 52, connected at one end by a link 53, to a short arm 54 keyed to a shaft extending outwardly through the valve casing as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.

The free end of the bell-crank lever 52 terminates in a handle 55, carrying a hand operated bolt 56, adapted to enter one of three notches 57, in a segmental arm 58, formed at the top of a bracket 59, to which the bellcrank 52 is pivoted.

To properly control the compressed air when inflatlng and deflating the bags or floats 33, 34 and 35, I provide the Valve 49 with two curved passages 60 constituting in effect a four part valve so that it maybe employed when inflating the bags and also when deflating the same as will now be described.

When it is desired to alight on a body of water the lever 37 is pushed forward (as above stated) to release the air bags 33, 34, and 35, and to connect clutch parts 4044 to start the pump 47, but prior to this the valve 49, must be turned from the normally closed bags normally held in said position (Fig. 7) to the open compression position (Fig. 5) and when the bags are blown up to their capacity the lever 52 is operated by its handle 55, to bring the valve back to the closed position of Fig. 7, thus locking the air line against exhaustion.

Safety valves such as those shown at 62, '63, 64, may be employed to control the pres sure in the bags.

When it is desired to rise from the water, it is necessary to deflate the wing bags first as they would retard the plane and would also reduce the lifting power of said wings, and to accomplish this, I employ a three way valve 65, placed in the air line 51, forward junction of the branch pipe 66 to the lever 67 is operated to draw the valve lever 68 through a wire 99, to the dotted position 68 in F1g. 4, and the full line position of Fig. 4*, and it is held in that position against the action of a pull spring 69, until the Wing bags are deflated, after which the lever 67 is released and the said spring acts to rotate the valve 65, back to its normal posi tion to establish the air line from the bags 33 and 34 which are then deflated by the continuing action of the pump 47 as the plane rises into the air.

In the event the plane engine should go dead and its power was not available for driving the pump 47 I may employ an electric motor 70 which may be connected to the pump direct as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or an electric pump 71 connected by a pipe 72, to the air line 51, may be employed. A lever 73 connected by a wire or cord 74 may be connected toan electric switch 75 to control said pump.

What Iclaim as new, is:

1. In an aeroplane, embodying the usual fuselage, motive means and wings; pockets arranged in the undersides of said fuselage and said wings," collapsible and expansible pockets; releasing means for said bags; a pivoted lever adjacent to the pilots seat; connecting means between said releasing means and said lever whereby said bags may be released by the operation of said lever; an air pump having pipe connections to said bags whereby to inflate said bags when desired, and a clutch mechanism on a shaft of said motive meansand said pump connected to said lever whereby the-operation of said lever in the releasing of said bags will connect said motive means to said air pump.

2. In an aeroplane, embodying the usual fuselage, motive means and wings, pockets arranged in the undersides on sa1d fusel e and said wings; collapsible and expansib e bags normally held in said pockets; releasing means for said bags; a pivoted lever adjacent to the pilots seat; connecting means between said releasing means and said lever whereby said bags may be released by the operation of saidlever; an air pum having. pipe connections to said bags where y to inflate said bags when desired, a clutch mechanism on a shaft of said motive means and said pump connected to said lever, whereby the operation of said lever in the releasing of said bags will connect said motive means to said air pump, and a reversing valve in connection with said air pump whereby said air pump may operate to draw air from the atmosphere and compress it into saidbags, or vice versa. v

3. In an aeroplane as set forth in claim 2, a seeond valve whereby the bags-in the win may be. separately connected to said am pump, the rest of the bags being then shut oflt therefrom, or vice versa.

4. In an aeroplane having mechanical motive means therein, including a shaft; a central operating element adjacent to the pilots seat; inflatable devices on said aeroplane normally being in a collapsed posltion; means to release said inflatable devices; connections between said means and said central operating element; an air pump with pipe lines to said inflatable devices; a clutch on said motive shaft adapted" to connect the shaft of air pump to said motive shaft or to disconnect it from the same, said clutch being also connected to said central operating element'so" that when releasing said inflatable devices said element will automatically connect said two shafts.

5. In an aeroplane floating mechanismas set forth in claim 4, a reversing valve in connection with said air pump whereby said air pump may draw air from the atmosphere and compress it into said inflatable devices, or vice versa.

6. In a floating mechanism for aeroplanes as set forth in claim 4 a selective valve where by a selected group of said inflatable devices may be connected to said air pump and the rest of said devices shut off therefrom.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,'this 9th day of July, A; D. 1928.

GEORGE MIKULA, 

